Huddersfield Town have signed veteran Nick Colgan as cover for injured first-choice goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

The much-travelled Colgan, who was on loan with the Terriers in the autumn, has signed until the end of the season.

Colgan, 37, is expected to be on the bench for Saturday's visit of Colchester United, with 39-year-old Ian Bennett continuing in goal.

Smithies is expected to be out for up two months after undergoing a knee operation earlier this week.

Former Republic of Ireland international Colgan, who started with home town club Drogheda before moving to Chelsea in 1992, had loan spells at Crewe, Grimsby, Millwall, Brentford and Reading before moving to Bournemouth in 1998.

He then went north of the border in 1999 to Hibernian, where he spent five seasons before moving to Barnsley, where he spent four years.

As well as two further loans at Stockport Country and Dundee United, he has since had short stays at Ipswich, Sunderland and a return to Grimsby.

A free agent after leaving Grimsby earlier this month, Colgan initially joined the Terriers on loan in October following another injury to Smithies, but did not make any appearances.

Manager Lee Clark told the club website: "Nick fitted right into the group when he joined us on loan earlier in the season."

He will provide back-up for Bennett, who made his first appearance in two months in the Terriers' 4-0 defeat on Tuesday night at Carlisle in the first leg of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy northern final.